Capture actions as specific next physical steps…

Capture every action item with a specific next physical action (not 'handle client project' but 'email Sarah the revised timeline') to eliminate re-processing friction at execution time.

When This Fires

When capturing any action item during inbox processing (Process inboxes sequentially top-to-bottom, never…, Route actionable items to your task system and reference…)
When reviewing your task list and finding items you keep skipping because they feel overwhelming
When procrastination is present — often the cause is vague tasks that feel undoable
Complements Competent stranger test for workflow steps — could someone… (competent stranger test) applied to self-assigned tasks

Common Failure Mode

Project-level task entries: "Website redesign," "Tax preparation," "Quarterly review." These aren't tasks — they're projects containing many tasks. Putting them on a task list guarantees they'll sit there unacted-upon because no single physical action can "do" them. Each needs to be decomposed into its current next physical action.

The Protocol

(1) For every action item, ask: "What is the very next physical thing I would do to move this forward?" (2) The answer should describe a visible, physical action: open, write, call, email, read, walk to, type, print. Not: think about, decide, handle, plan, consider. (3) Include specificity: who (email Sarah), what (the revised timeline), where (in the shared drive), when (by 3pm). The more specific, the less re-processing needed. (4) If you can't identify a clear next physical action, the item needs clarification first: "Spend 10 minutes brainstorming what 'handle client project' actually means" becomes the next action. (5) When a next action is completed, immediately define the new next action for the project. The project always has a current next physical action until it's complete.